7:30AM - Breakfast with Spines
Princess Celestia had taken her aside shortly after her coronation to warn her, but she hadn't taken it seriously then, too excited by the whirlwind of her ascension and the related fanfare to worry.
"I couldn't be more proud of you, Twilight Sparkle. But there are some things we probably need to discuss about your new status before you return to Ponyville."
"What is it? Am I taking on new responsibilities already? I don't want to kick Mayor Mare out of a job or anything... oh no! What... what am I the princess of now?"
"Calm down, Twilight. That can all come in time. More urgent than your secular duties are some more... personal issues we need to discuss."
The problem was a simple one, in truth. The good news was that it was a problem that Twilight had some degree of prior experience with. The bad news was that it was a fairly embarrassing issue even among unicorn fillies and colts, let alone fully-grown Alicorn princesses.
Twilight had more magic than she knew how to handle, and it wasn't entirely under her control.
"Princess, I've been dealing with magic surges since before I got my cutie mark. That's how we first met! I've trained my entire life to keep my magic stable."
"You've trained to keep your unicorn magic stable. Now you have earth pony magic, pegasus magic, and most importantly, Alicorn magic. Twilight, you are the princess of Magic itself. All the magic of the world will bend to your will."
In hindsight, Celestia could have worded that better.
Twilight was too ecstatic to take heed of the concern on her mentor's face and heard only that she could hold control over all the magic. In the end, Celestia had relented with an amused smile, not willing to mar her faithful student's day with insistence on dire warnings.
When Twilight had returned to her in a panic a few days later, the solar princess had explained that the magic would not do anything to directly harm her student or her friends - after all, it was the magic of friendship that Twilight represented, and it was not a force of destruction.
"The problem is basically one of communication. Twilight, when you became a princess, your power keyed itself to that of the whole world itself, as mine does to the sun and Luna's the moon. Think of it as a brand new friend you've just met, who you get along with fine but... doesn't speak Equestrian very well. They want to get along with you, they want to make you happy. And if you explain things to them slowly and deliberately, then you'll understand each other. But if you're not careful, you might give them the wrong idea about what you want, and they'll do their best to help you and do what they think you want to do.
"As you grow alongside them, you'll learn to speak the same language and the miscommunications will happen less and less often, but right now you're going to find that stray thoughts and comments, new spells, and desires might create unexpected effects in the world around you. You're lucky enough to be tied to the magic of friendship - I almost set Equestria on fire once. I kind of lost my temper in court, and the sun decided to come down and help resolve the argument...
"One way or another, until you learn to control most of these outbursts, I think it would be best for you to stay in an environment where you have your friends to understand and support you. One step at a time, princess."
And so, Ponyville not only had to deal with having a princess living in the library, but a new set of incidents keeping everypony ready for anything.
And to be honest, it was almost embarrassing how easily everypony took this change in their stride.
~-~-~-~
"So... so let me get this straight. You... didn't turn yourself into a mare in your sleep."
"Aargh! For the fifth time! No!"
"You're trying to tell me that you've... always been a mare? Because I think I can tell you right now, you haven't. Believe me. I've lived in the same room as you for quite a few years now."
"Spike-- ugh, Spines. I already explained what happened."
"Riiiight. You come from a... another Ponyville, where what, everypony's mares?"
"Well not everypony, but all my friends are! Most of Ponyville, even. And you're a boy baby dragon. Spike."
Spines closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to imagine the scene her friend painted. She got about two ponies in before she lost her poker face and burst into giggles. "Nope, sorry, I can't picture it. I still say you're just embarrassed about turning yourself into a mare."
Twilight collapsed onto the cushions, letting out a wail of frustration that caused Spines to fall back on the floor laughing. "Your voice sounds so different! Oh, you sound so weird when you do that."
After a long moment of no witty yet frustrated retort, however, Spines blinked, looking over at the alicorn with eyes scrunched closed and carefully controlling her breathing. "Look, Du-- umm, Twilight? Twilight. I believe you. I'm just messing with you. You okay?"
It took a few more carefully measured breaths before she hissed a reply between her teeth. "Just... peachy."
"Want me to run up the red flag today until you can figure this out?" Spines asked, a little more sympathy in her voice now. That idea snapped Twilight out of her frustration pretty quickly as she thought about it.
"I... no. Yellow flag. I have a lot to do today. Full schedule. I can't let a little thing like this get in my way. Friendship first, then study."
Spines tilted her head, trying to puzzle this out. "But... this isn't your home. They're kinda... not your friends?"
"Yeah, but everything seems the same here except the genders. They're still my friends, just... different. And if I'm here, that means that... Dusk Shine should be back in my Ponyville. So if I do everything I've got planned for my day here, he'll do it back on my side, and the work and friendship continues." She smiled with only the slightest trace of mania in her grin.
Spines remained somewhat more cautious. "Because, y'know, everyone else is going to think the same thing I was saying. You're gonna be getting jokes about turning yourself into a mare all day."
Twilight winced and seriously considered her options. The spell would likely take her a few hours to puzzle out. She had time set aside in the evening for herself, and surely she could reshuffle her schedule a little to fix her problems first... Her friends would understand, if she put up the red flag...
"No." She shook her head firmly. "I'm not going to abuse the system. This isn't dangerous, this isn't an emergency, this is just... a pain in the flank. And ridiculous. I can get through the schedule. And the first thing on my schedule is breakfast. At least THAT shouldn't matter what gender I am."
With a look of absolute focus, Twilight levitated the plate of pancakes over to the table from where it had fallen at the beginning of the conversation. She cast a reheating spell with the experience of a professional student and dug into the pancakes with gusto, trying to prepare her mind for the day to come.
She was distracted by Spines giving a slight titter. "What."
"Well, that's kinda a... stallion-sized stack of pancakes there, Twilight. Shouldn't you be watching your fig-- HEY!" Spines' snarky comment was cut off by having to catch one of the mugs that had fallen previously.
"Clean up the mess and go put up the flag. You're in charge of the library today."
"Sure, sure." Spines giggled and picked up the other fallen crockery and stored it in the kitchen, then headed upstairs to the top of the library's tree and a newly installed pole that stuck up above the branches.
Several flags lay in neat piles around ready to be raised on the attached string. The flags themselves were small, but enchanted to colour further banners that hung around the library tree when raised in a code that the locals of Ponyville had been quickly educated on, advising them when new magical shenanigans had occurred around the Princess - ranging from blue for those that should not interfere with daily life, to red advising potentially dangerous or concerning issues that resulted in the library being closed until further notice.
The yellow flag the dragon hooked and then raised advised of potentially confusing but effectively harmless magical effects - so, in short, Ponyville knew to be ready for weirdness today. She considered that given the rather... personal level of the issue, it probably wasn't really worth more than a blue, but Dusk... er, Twilight had final say.
By the time she came back down, Twilight had finished off the pancakes and was reading through her schedule for the day. She looked up as Spines walked in, smiling a little more confidently now that her hunger was sated and she had had a chance to regain her stability.
"Well, this is convenient - at least I've got everyone's stallion names on here. I didn't even think of that until I started reading it."
"Oh right! That would've probably been kind of embarrassing."
"Alright, Spines." She grinned, not tripping over the name this time, rolling up the schedule and storing it in her saddlebags as she slung them over her back... then winced as they fell low, throwing off her balance.
Spines giggled again at the sight of the stallion-sized bags practically dragging on the ground. Sighing, but already running behind time, Twilight moved towards the door, readjusting the straps as she went to better suit her physique. "I'd better get going. Make sure the library stays clean! Lots to do today, with the princesses visiting tomorrow!"
She paused at the door, taking a deep breath and steeling herself against the strangeness of the world beyond it... then strode through, head held high.
Behind her, Spines was frozen in the middle of saying goodbye, her mind frantically trying to come to terms with what she'd just heard.
"...Princesses?"
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well, at least the sun tried to help! it probably didn't turn out well, but it's the thought that counts!
I'm honestly having extremely large problems dealing with my ideas of possible ships in this. Nevermind selfcest or anything like that, it's just... Twilight's my favorite, and this is certainly a cool twist to the usual twific :D
So going to fave and keep an eye on this!
3484053
So if I murder you because I think that it might help you get to Equestria, you wouldn't mind?
It's the thought that counts!
Well, that explains Tia's poker face
3485905 Just keep in mind, it has to be in a car crash. And it has to be instant. So... Yeah. If you want a second car coming at them from the other direction just to make sure, just call me and hook me up with a car, and I'm your stallion!
LOL at poor Spines. That's a mind-buck right there, thinking of your ruler(s) in the opposite gender. XD
Sunburn isn't pleasant, yes. But, you should take the time sometime and ask dear Mi Amore Cadenza what Love tried to do to help during the last Griffon/Pony conflict, at the Battle of Whitetail.
There were never so many Hippogriffs born in all of history than there were eleven months after that day...
Hm...
Twilight wakes up and accidentally shaves everyone. Don't know how, it just happens.
3491102 I witnessed the battle of Whitetail...
I've never heard the word "incident" used in this sense. "Set of rules" could be clearer.
I know this seems a little early, but you have got to do a side story or sequel where we see what Dusk Shine has/had to go through in Twilight's Equestria.
I almost died of laughter when I read this. Someone needs to write this as a one-shot. NOW.
3494936
OF COURSE the love magic wouldn't work on you..
Darkfire, why do you hate this guy again?
I don't hate him... we just... have differing opinions, Shady.
Favorites List, with you!
10/10
Gold star
100%
Love it.
A gender-bending fic with legitimacy in its core reasoning.
Love it. Reading more now. Yes.
~Aegis Shield
You know, this gets me thinking. I often visit my own version of Equestria, what with me dating Twi and being a dimensional traveller, so I must wonder: what's my female counterpart like? And what would a male Nyx be like?
Why are you asking when you can go see for yourself? Do you not remember the Bubble Outrealm?
Good point.
And to be honest, it was almost embarrassing how easily everypony took this change in their stride. And all thanks to you Twilight
3484053 This is court we're talking about.
Political things.
Therefore, if the sun had accidentally set the court on fire, nobody would be missing those politicians...
5139619 if you don't like politicians... Don't visit Australia
I adore how Twilight has a system in place for this sort of thing happening, and how it got caused by a Haruhi-esque power incontinence. Good ideas both.
Twilight turns everypony into Dragons or Gryphons (because of Dash's suggestion at the end of 'It Ain't Easy)...'
Twilight turns everypony into EG!humans because she's spent too much time at Canterlot High.
Twilight casts a spell that prevents Zecora from rhyming!
Twilight casts a spell that has the CMC and the Mane6 swap roles, ages, and places.
Twilight casts a spell that causes the League of Bronyanalysts to fall into Equestria through the Rift (or is that too Meta? Can she see 'Bronies React' videos instead?).
2.bp.blogspot.com/-XPBdcX6OM80/Tz8nuS-nUhI/AAAAAAAAG34/LQ7F6m2sVBU/s1600/Are-You-Fucking-Kidding-Me-Rage-Face-Meme-Template-Blank.png.cf.jpg
Talks did not go well with the Mushroom kingdom!
fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/035/e/a/super_mario_angry_sun_by_eduardo_13-d75259z.png
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The tracks are leading to a crazy train. Must read.
This is brilliant!
Mind if I borrow it for my story?
If the nobles were as incompetant then as the fandom likes portraying them now, then I don't think anyone would have missed them. Jokes aside, I like this, it shows that not even Celestia is perfect.
Ah right, Solaria and Artemis. Right.
And you dun goofed.